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California Poppy 'Mikado'
Seed Packet

California Poppy 'Mikado'

Eschscholzia californica
Deep orange satiny petals with scarlet backs grace this rare old variety. The burnished four-petaled flowers and sea-green, finely cut leaves look beautiful in masses, perfect with sweet alyssum and cornflowers in any well-drained soil. Native Americans used this plant for toothache; today, it is recommended for its analgesic and mild narcotic properties. Cut back if bloom slows in summer for another flush of flowers that continue until a hard freeze. Listed in a 1936 catalog. Self-sows.
SKU #S240
$3.25
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Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
325
Lifecycle
Annual
Annual Hardiness
Hardy Annual
Mature Size
8-12" h x 6" w
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Regular, well-drained
Season
Spring to fall
Color
Orange and scarlet
Features
Deer Resistant
Heat or Drought Tolerant
Attracts Bees
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Surface sow and press in or light cover to 1/8".
Sprout Time:
7-14 days
Seed To Bloom:
8-10 weeks
Starting Indoors:
Start in containers 4 weeks before last spring frost. Keep at 60-65°F.
Starting Outdoors:
Recommended. Direct sow in early spring or fall; late winter in mild winter areas (zones 8-10).
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
In springtime, at last frost date.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
California poppies are beguiling wildflowers with teardrop buds opening to silky lustrous cups, closing in the evening and when cloudy weather reigns. They self sow readily and often find just the right spot to grow—along dry garden edges, rock gardens and gravelly spots where little else grows. Best in areas where summer nights cool down, where they bloom long, elsewhere a spring to summer delight, especially when grown in large drifts. Deadhead.
Final Spacing:
8"
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
About 1" per week is plenty—drought tolerant and will likely not need watering except during particularly dry spells. However, regular watering may encourage more blossoms.
Soil pH:
No pH preference.
Fertilizer:
Mix in a granular organic flower fertilizer with low nitrogen in poor soils.
Diseases & Pests:
No major pests or diseases.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Not suitable for cut flowers.
Growing Guides Fall Sowing Hardy Annuals
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